If there’s one thing that stands to be common among many homes these days is that they’re an eclectic mix of many different style elements. Gone are the days of sticking to just a single concept, making a home look monotonous and boring. You can have different themes coming together and still end up with a well-designed home.
One great example of a mix that works is the modern farmhouse. It pays homage to traditional farmhouses but keeps up with the times by adding contemporary touches here and there. Google ‘modern farmhouse,’ and you’ll be given loads of inspiration to get started. But even for the readiest of all homeowners, finding that perfect balance can still be tricky.
If updating to a modern farmhouse vibe is something you’ve long wanted for your home, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few style tips to bring that dream to life:
1. Don’t Forget Your Garden
First on this list is something every farmhouse should have, be it modern or classic: elements of a garden. Space-permitting, your household can benefit from having a vegetable garden in your yard for that farm-to-table experience. There’s nothing healthier than growing a few of your produce, so you know exactly what goes into everything you eat.
Consider vertical or even micro-gardening if you don’t have enough yard space for a garden. A modern farmhouse kitchen will almost always have pots of herbs by the windows, making it easy to pick fresh ones for when you’re cooking.
2. Paint The Walls In Neutral Colors
Because you’re after a modern farmhouse feel, this isn’t the right time to play with colors. Rather, the walls are best kept in neutral tones. Avoid dark or bright colors, and stay away from painting each room in a different color as well. It doesn’t have to be white, but it must be a bit muted, like gray, brown, or beige.
Keeping the walls neutral makes it easier to tie all modern design elements and a classic farmhouse together without looking cluttered. Think of that neutral wall as the canvas to get started. It also creates a calm atmosphere that every modern home strives to emulate.
3. Mix Old And New Elements
As its name suggests, a modern farmhouse mixes the old and the new. So, be sure to have that in your design elements. Suppose you have a modern couch and dining room set. Keep it attuned to the farmhouse look by finishing with touches of vintage decorative elements.
For example, instead of using modern doors, why not opt for French or barn-type doors. Glass vases are lovely, but so are old bottles, cans, and jars, which you can repurpose as vases.
4. Use Rustic Wood Elements
What’s a farmhouse without all the dark wood? Exposed beams in the ceilings and hardwood floors are the best way to go about this. But if you don’t have such, there are so many other areas where using wood works just as well.
You may have an accent wall out of hardwood or floating shelves made of wood. Then, there goes your furniture. Rustic wood is always present in a modern farmhouse, as it’s the most failproof way of creating that cozy feeling evident in farmhouses. To take it up a notch and achieve a next-level look, try mixing deep rich tones with lighter ones to come up with that stunning tone-on-tone contrast.
5. Plan The Front Porch Intentionally
Before covering the basics of the home’s interior and then forgetting about the exterior, plan out your front porch intentionally. This is, after all, the forefront of every farmhouse. It all starts at the front door, which means having a wide front porch.
In traditional farmhouses, porches are often overdecorated or cluttered. Their modern versions, on the one hand, are all about having that space for a porch while keeping it more muted and subdued as to design.
A small seating area or a console table with lots of plants will do. Right at the front door, have big jars with giant accent plants to warm up the space and make it more inviting even before guests walk into your home.
Get The Farmhouse Style In Your Home
It can get tricky to perfect a modern farmhouse look, but hopefully, the suggestions above work as effective workarounds. Whether you’re opting to DIY the design process or hiring architects and interior designers for this, remember, there’s loads of inspiration for you to get by.
More than anything else, remember to keep things simple and stop yourself from overdoing each room. The last thing you’d want is to have a trendy-like home that quickly gets dated. Add in your personal touches, so your modern farmhouse home feels more like your space, not one you copied room by room straight out of a magazine.